Colonial’s Shelby Borst is the 2025 Delaware Teacher of the Year.
The reward for teaching for Shelby Borst comes from the looks on students’ faces when they learn something new.
Borst, a social studies teacher at William Penn High School in the Colonial School District, got her own reward Tuesday night when she was named Delaware’s 2025 State Teacher of the Year.
She’s also a teacher who has spent time boosting enrollment of underrepresented students in higher-level Advanced Placement (AP) classes, adding several classes during her time in the district.
RELATED: State sees more students taking – and scoring well – on AP tests
“Students are so amazing to watch as this process of learning occurs, and you’re right alongside them with that journey,” she said in a prepared video at the award banquet. “And it’s really an honor to be a part of that process.”
Borst is in her eighth year of teaching and won a $5,000 grant to use for the educational benefit of her students, as well as two grants totaling an additional $5,000 for personal use.
She also received gifts from the Delaware School Boards Association, Delaware State Education Association, and Delaware State Teachers of the Year Association; State of Delaware Teacher of the Year commemorative plates from the Division of Motor Vehicles; a full doctorate program from the University of Delaware and Wilmington University; and a 10-karat gold ring from Jostens.
Delaware nominee for national honors
She’s Delaware’s nominee for National Teacher of the Year. She will be asked to address legislators, business leaders, community groups, and educational organizations to keep the public privy to how the state’s schools are doing.
“Shelby is an amazing educator,” said Colonial Superintendent Jeff Menzer. “Her drive and effort to bring the best out of her students is beyond impressive. Colonial Nation is honored to have her representing Delaware as the 2025 Teacher of the Year.”
After Borst accepted her award, she fought through tears and admitted to having a bit of imposter syndrome among all the great educators in attendance.
“I never thought I would be here, so I wanted to thank everyone over at Colonial Table 11,” she said. “I told him it was a lucky one tonight.”
The 61st Delaware Teacher of the Year thanked her husband, who she says has been through “the highs and lows of literally every day.”
Sources of inspiration
A big round of applause erupted as she thanked her father for flying all the way from Hawaii to celebrate her special night.
She thanked Ms. Scott, a teacher she had in third grade, for encouraging her to read and instilling confidence in her.
The summer after she had Ms. Scott, she read all the Harry Potter books even though she struggled with her eyesight and wasn’t sure she could get through the hefty and comprehensive series.
“She cared for me, as all of you care for your students,” Borst said. “You look after them every single day. They are our future, and you all are our future, and they deserve to be celebrated.”
Homegrown Teacher of the Year
Borst graduated from the University of Delaware with a B.A. in social studies education before earning her graduate degree in curriculum and instruction from Western Governors University.
She is from Delaware, went to Colonial schools until eighth grade when her family moved to Middletown, where she attended Appoquinimink High School, graduating in 2012.
She prides herself on creating a more equitable education system, and she realized that the students on her roster for college preparatory classes were more likely to be Black, Hispanic, or multi-language learners and have lower grade-point averages.
Those in her AP and dual enrollment rosters were more likely to be white with higher grade-point averages and to have been previously enrolled in honors or AP courses.
She discovered that students either didn’t know higher-level class options existed or felt they couldn’t take the courses and lacked confidence.
Borst recruited students in all levels of social studies courses, met with counselors to identify candidates for AP courses who are historically underrepresented, and created an informal flier for the behavioral science pathway.
Her two AP classes eventually turned into five.
Aubrey Bing, a former student, credits Borst for helping her through the transition from a private all-girls school to William Penn, helping her feel comfortable and make friends.
“It was clear that Ms. Borst genuinely cared about her students’ well-being,” Bing said in a news release from the state Department of Education. “Ms. Borst fostered a supportive, judgment-free environment that encouraged me to participate actively, share my experiences, and be authentically myself.”
The 19 other school district/charter honorees each received a cash prize of $2,000.
For more information on the other nominees, click here.
RELATED: Here are the nominees for Delaware Teacher of the Year
Borst follows last year’s teacher of the year, Cory Hafer, an engineering and science teacher at Appoquinimink School District’s Middletown High.
RELATED: Meet Cory Hafer, Delaware’s 2024 Teacher of Year
“Education is vital for our democracy,” Hafer said at Tuesday’s award banquet. “We have an important job. We need to advocate for public education. The reality is, nobody knows your classrooms better than you, so it’s important that you all share your stories to lift up our profession.”
He thanked everyone in the room for their passion and dedication to America’s youth.
“That doubt creeps in all the time,” he said. “Take a deep breath again, exhale away that doubt, and try to remember this moment. You are not imposters… embrace that your voice truly can help inspire others to change.”
In her acceptance speech, Borst said she prioritizes giving students a voice in decision-making and policies that affect their day-to-day learning.
“I just wanted to thank you, and I hope to be a good advocate, an excellent advocate,” she said. “It is an honor.”
She asked that the crowd celebrate the talent across the room, and one final applause for all of the district and charter teachers of the year concluded the night.
Raised in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, Jarek earned a B.A. in journalism and a B.A. in political science from Temple University in 2021. After running CNN’s Michael Smerconish’s YouTube channel, Jarek became a reporter for the Bucks County Herald before joining Delaware LIVE News.
Jarek can be reached by email at [email protected] or by phone at (215) 450-9982. Follow him on Twitter @jarekrutz
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